High-value care for senior medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Economics
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Physicians can reduce healthcare costs by optimizing resource utilization.
• Student engagement with high- and low-value care behaviors is influenced by regional spending patterns and may be adopted early in training.
• Current internal medicine curricula often lack specific instruction on high-value care (HVC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the lasting impact of a high-value care (HVC) curriculum on senior medical students.
• To determine if targeted education can influence medical students' perceptions and engagement with HVC.

Main Methods:

• A curriculum focused on high-value care (HVC) was implemented for senior medical students.
• Student perceptions and engagement with HVC practices were assessed through surveys administered before and after the curriculum, and again before graduation.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in positive attitudes towards HVC was observed post-curriculum.
• Students reported a significant increase in HVC practices, which was sustained until their graduation.
• The curriculum demonstrated a measurable and lasting effect on student engagement with HVC.

Conclusions:

• Implementing a high-value care (HVC) curriculum can effectively enhance students' reported HVC practices.
• Further research is warranted to assess the broader impact of medical education on reducing unnecessary healthcare utilization.